Center of Excellence in Precision Medicine and Population Health

描述(由申请人提供)：拟议的范德比尔特-迈阿密-迈哈里精准医学和人口健康卓越中心将汇集在精准医学和非裔美国人和拉美裔/拉美裔美国人的健康差距研究方面拥有丰富专业知识的机构和教职员工。该中心的牵头机构是范德比尔特大学医学中心--精准和个性化医学领域的全球领先者；迈阿密大学--健康差距研究和培训拉美裔医疗专业人员的国际中心；以及梅哈里医学院--美国最大的非裔美国人生产商，拥有生物医学博士学位，也是社区参与研究的领先者。该中心将利用独特的资产和资源，开发新的方法和途径来促进人口健康。这些资源包括BioVU，这是世界上最大的生物库之一，拥有20多万个DNA样本，与强大的电子健康记录相关联，NIH资助的健康差异中心，以及领导和协调地区和国家研究联盟的丰富经验。该中心的其他成员包括杰克逊州立大学和密西西比大学医学中心，它们是解决东南部地区健康差距的关键合作伙伴。该中心将由具有互补专业知识的高技能专业人士领导：Meharry-Vanderbilt联盟执行董事Consuelo H.Wilkins医学博士MSCI博士、Vanderbilt遗传学研究所主任Nancy J.Cox博士、迈阿密大学医学系主任Roy E.Weiss医学博士和Meharry医学院研究生院院长Maria de Fatima Lima博士。具体目标如下：具体目标1：建立人力和技术基础设施，以促进国家范围的跨学科研究合作，重点是使用精确医学方法消除健康差距。具体目标2：制定新的方法，综合个人、背景和环境数据(包括基因组、社会、文化、环境和临床数据)，准确确定面临差异风险的准确群体，并解释差异的机制。具体目标3：利用基因组和表型数据推动新的健康差异研究，以a)检查药物治疗结果的差异；b)确定有效的针对特定人的治疗方法，以提高种族和族裔少数群体的治疗结果；c)研究影响药物特异性和反应的基因组变异；以及d)为预防、筛查和治疗条件开发有效的预测模型(针对特定人)。具体目标4：制定伦理、深思熟虑、社会和文化上可接受的方法，使种族和族裔少数群体以及弱势群体参与精确医学研究，然后协作确定领域和相关方法，以确保消除健康差距最早产生影响，特别是在非洲裔美国人和拉美裔美国人中。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The proposed Vanderbilt-Miami-Meharry Center of Excellence in Precision Medicine and Population Health will bring together institutions and faculty with substantial expertise in precision medicine and health disparities research among African Americans and Latinos/Hispanics. The lead institutions in this Center are Vanderbilt University Medical Center- a global leader in precision and personalized medicine, the University of Miami- an international hub for health disparities research and training Latino health professionals, and Meharry Medical College- the nation's top producer of African Americans with a PhD in biomedical sciences and a leader in community engaged research. The Center will leverage unique assets and resources to develop novel methods and approaches to advance population health. These resources include BioVU, one of the largest biobanks in the world with more than 200,000 DNA samples linked to robust electronic health records, NIH-funded health disparities centers, and substantial experience leading and coordinating regional and national research consortia. Other members of the Center include Jackson State University and the University of Mississippi Medical Center, key partners in addressing health disparities in the Southeastern region. The Center will be led by highly-skilled PIs with complementary expertise: Consuelo H. Wilkins, MD, MSCI, Executive Director, Meharry-Vanderbilt Alliance; Nancy J. Cox, PhD, Director, Vanderbilt Genetics Institute; Roy E. Weiss, MD, PhD, Chair, Department of Medicine, University of Miami; and Maria de Fatima Lima, PhD, Dean, Graduate School, Meharry Medical College. The specific aims are as follows: Specific Aim 1: Establish the human and technical infrastructure to foster transdisciplinary national-scale research collaborations that focus on using precision medicine approaches to eradicate health disparities. Specific Aim 2: Develop novel methods to integrate individual, contextual and environmental data (including genomic, social, cultural, environmental and clinical) to accurately identify precise groups at risk for disparities, and to explain mechanisms for disparities. Specific Aim 3: Propel novel health disparities research leveraging genomic and phenotypic data to a) examine differences in drug therapy outcomes; b) identify effective person-specific treatments that enhance therapeutic outcomes among racial and ethnic minorities; c) study genomic variations that impact the specificity and response of drugs; and d) develop valid predictive models (person-specific) for preventing, screening and treating conditions. Specific Aim 4: Develop ethical, deliberate, socially and culturally acceptable methods for engaging racial and ethnic minorities and vulnerable populations in precision medicine research, and then collaboratively identify the areas and associated methods to secure the earliest impact on eliminating health disparities as top priorities specifically among African Americans and Latinos.